Method for the production of a scouring body

ABSTRACT

A method for the production of a scouring body, whereby a hardenable binder is applied to a material web made from textile material, the material web is then run through at least one thermal hardening process with a heating zone and the material web is given a surface embossing in an embossing process by thermal moulding. The thermal moulding process for the embossing process is carried out between the application of the binder and a subsequent thermal hardening process for carrying out the final hardening of the binder.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a scouringbody, a hardenable binder being applied to a material web made fromtextile material, and the material web being subsequently guided throughat least one heating zone for at least one thermal hardening process,and the material web being provided with surface embossing in anembossing process by thermal molding.

Such scouring bodies have working surfaces profiled by embossing and arein particular suitable and provided for cleaning and scouring processes.The scouring bodies may be connected to a support which may be anothertextile formation, a foam body, or a plastic body.

A binder is usually applied to a material web made of textile materialfor manufacturing these scouring bodies. The material web is then guidedthrough a heating zone, where the binder hardens. The binder may beapplied on one side or on both sides. The material web may be guidedthrough a plurality of heating zones, the binder being first partiallyand subsequently fully hardened.

The embossing process by thermal molding for profiling the surface haspreviously been carried out subsequently to the final hardening of thebinder (EP 0 696 432 B1). The embossing process may be carried out in acontinuous process directly following the final hardening of the binder,but embossing may also be carried out in a separate machine.

In particular when thermally hardening binder systems are used, thermalmolding carried out after hardening for the purpose of embossing resultsin embrittlement, damage, and therefore weakening of the material. Thisdamage is caused mostly by mechanical and/or thermal stresses in thebinder. Therefore, the products obtained by this manufacturing processoften do not resist the stresses occurring when they are used ascleaning or scouring bodies.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a method ofthe type named in the preamble in which damage to or a negative effecton the binder due to the thermal embossing process is ruled out or atleast minimized.

This object is achieved according to the present invention by carryingout thermal molding for the embossing process between the application ofthe binder and a final thermal hardening process resulting in the finalhardening of the binder.

Damage to the product is thus prevented or at least largely minimized,which results in a product suitable for use as a cleaning or scouringbody.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, thermalmolding for the embossing process is carried out directly before thefinal hardening process resulting in the final hardening of the binder.

If one or more partial thermal hardening processes precede the finalthermal hardening process, thermal molding for the embossing process maybe carried out before the partial hardening process or before one of thepartial hardening processes.

Embossing may then take place via rolling, pressing, or punching.

The present invention is elucidated below in detail with reference tothe exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawing.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a process sequence for manufacturing amaterial web for scouring bodies, and

FIG. 2 shows a modified process sequence as illustrated in FIG. 1.

A hardenable binder is applied to a material web 1 made from textilematerial, for example, polyamide fibers, at a first station 2. Thebinder may be applied by spraying, spreading, padding, or in a bath. Thematerial web is subsequently continuously guided through a first heatingzone 3, where the binder is partially hardened. Material web 1 thenpasses over a roller 4 and is turned over. At a second station 5, thebinder is applied to the second side of material web 1.

The material web then passes through a second heating zone 6, where thebinder applied at second station 5 is also partially hardened. Thematerial web goes, via a roller, to an embossing station 8 onlyindicated in FIG. 1, where the surface structure is embossed by thermalmolding. Embossing may take place via rolling, pressing, or punching.

The embossed material web then passes into a third heating zone 9, wherethe final hardening of the binder is carried out in a final thermalhardening process.

In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, material web 1 madefrom textile fibers also passes through the three heating zones 3, 6,and 9 consecutively, the binder being applied as described, at stations2 and 5.

The difference with respect to the previously described exemplaryembodiment is that embossing of the surface is carried out at anembossing station 10 upstream from first heating zone 3, at an embossingstation 11 between first heating zone 3 and second heating zone 6, or atan embossing station 12 directly upstream from second heating zone 6.

The common feature of the above-described exemplary embodiments is thatthermal molding for the embossing process takes place between station 2,where the binder is first applied, and third heating zone 9, where thefinal hardening of the binder occurs via a final thermal hardeningprocess. Thermal molding for the embossing process thus takes place ineach case upstream from last heating zone 9, the embossing stationsillustrated in the drawing being only possible examples of applicationso that further variants are also possible.

Heat is controlled in heating zones 3, 6, and 9 in such a way that thebinder only hardens partially in heating zones 3 and 6, while finalhardening occurs in last heating zone 9.

Examples of the binders used include phenolformaldehyde resins,acrylates, melamine resins or polyurethanes.

1-4. (canceled)
 5. A method for manufacturing a scouring body,comprising: applying a hardenable binder to a material web including atextile material; guiding the material web and hardenable binder throughat least one heating zone for at least one partial thermal hardeningprocess; providing the material web a surface embossing in an embossingprocess using a thermal molding process; and carrying out a finalthermal hardening process resulting in a final hardening of the binder,wherein the thermal molding process is performed between the applying ofthe binder and the final thermal hardening process.
 6. The method asrecited in claim 5, wherein the thermal molding process is performeddirectly prior to the final thermal hardening process.
 7. The method asrecited in claim 5, wherein the at least one partial thermal hardeningprocesses is performed before the final thermal hardening process, andthe thermal molding process is performed before to at least one of theat least one partial thermal hardening process.
 8. The method as recitedin claim 5, wherein the embossing process is performed using at leastone of a rolling, a pressing, and a punching.